grand wash trail

Easy access through spectacular scenery (even on the way TO the hike!) Narrow canyon with huge beautiful (implausible, even) walls. We spotted a car at the other end, which is a plus if you have the option, but such a short canyon that "out and back" is still doable in a half-day. Picnic tables at trailhead and the end of the paved road (halfway in from "Scenic Driver"--yes, that's it's apt name!)

A nice little walk after a very scenic drive. If you're short on time this is a great way to see some of the park and experience a hike.It was really hot the day we went and we needed a lot more water than we thought. There is no shade (even when in the canyon).

Mostly level gravel path through a wash bed. The canyon is pretty and the wash floor is colorful stones. There are some neat pockets and rock formations. Be careful, the rock in this area is relatively soft. There are some pretty cool places in this canyon that look relatively easy to climb. I did and ended up on my back with chunks of rock in both hands.

This is one of the most picturesque things I've ever seen. Our kids loved the flat trail, and found so many places to play. Literally rock cliffs on both sides

This has got to be one of the most underrated, under appreciated things to do in all of southern Utah. Pick up a pie at the Gifford House, or bring a picnic lunch & drive until the pavement ends. Park here & eat lunch at the ramada among the monoliths. Then, drive down the winding gravel road until it ends. Then, get out of the car & take the easy,very scenic walk. You will be surrounded by huge granite monoliths, native plants, & will even see petroglyphs if you walk back far enough. Totally worth the drive & the walk! Makes you wonder what the pioneers thought when they rolled up to this!

The views here are amazing. It is a dirt road but this is the best way to really see the area. It is off the main road that you get the best views.

We hiked this in mid August just a few days after some flooding in the area. The Narrows section was our goal and it was worth the effort. We checked out some of the holes in the rocks and found one that you could go in and then it opened up to a cave where you could stand up. The holes in the rocks are pretty cool and we photographed one in the shape of a heart.

As a hiker, I rarely get the chance to hike in a canyon or 'narrows'. The trail is all a wash (no pun intended!) and a very fun trail to hike. The rising of the canyon around you makes you feel like an ant. Beautiful setting! Hiked in June and got there early but it was rather hot. Would recommend an early evening hike or another cooler month. There are two entrances to this trail.

This is an easy trail. Little to no elevation gain, but a good length at five miles r/t unless you can arrange a car to pick you up and drop you back off at your car, cutting the hike in half. You are mostly exposed to the sun for the entire hike, so make sure to use sunscreen and bring enough water. The scenery is nice, but pretty repetitive as you go along and there's no big pay off at the end. Plus its an out and back, so you see the same scenery twice. I would recommend doing Capitol Wash instead. There are some nice pools to climb to and its a little shorter. I would not recommend doing both, there's only so much you can see in a wash, and if one gets repetitive, you can imagine how doing two can be.Be very careful about weather. If it has rained or looks like it might rain, don't do this hike. Flash flooding is a very serious risk, and you can see why when you're on the hike and there isn't much high ground to retreat to.

Did this hike from the trailhead off Hwy 24, very early in the morning. Not far into the hike we came upon two big horn sheep and had the opportunity to simply be still and enjoy sharing the trail with them. This is a beautiful hike, soaring canyon walls, vivid colors, and lots of unique photo opportunities. We only came across one other hiker (photographer) during this hike. Once we reached the other end of the hike (trailhead from the scenic drive in Capital Reef) we decided to hike up to Cassidy Arch (a much more challenging hike but worth the effort). After hiking to Cassidy Arch and back we simply hiked the Grand Wash trail back to our car on Hwy 24.I would definitely recommend this hike, it was a great way to start the day!

Great hike for beginners with a flat trail that's mostly shaded if you go during the morning hours. Some really cool photo ops as you hike between massive canyon walls. Be aware of weather conditions before hiking to make sure rain isn't in the area (hence the name)For an added challenge, try the Cassidy Arch Trail near the end. Difficulty is much higher (compared to Grand Wash) but has some great views.Parking may be a bit limited although we were able to find a spot. The other end of the trail was closed which may have contributed.

Very flat, walk on the river bed. Very tall canyon walls really narrow in. Amazing. Great in November when it is dry, probably not doable in summer when there's a threat of flash flooding.

We wanted to do a trail and decided on the Grand Wash from Hwy 89 (the road off the scenic drive was closed to cars) because it is listed as easy and we thought we could get a view of Cassidy Arch from it. On the map it looked possible but I didn't consider elevation changes or obstructions. We saw one family leaving the trail when we were about half a mile into it. Other than them, the trail was all ours. We never saw anyone else come out or go in.It was cool being at the bottom of a canyon with the tall rock structures surrounding us. We saw some big horned sheep (see picture). It was also kind of eerie because no one else we around. Plus, the flash flood warnings can make you uncomfortable. We just tried to be aware of our surroundings and where we could climb in case of a sudden monsoon. My husband pointed out the line between wet and dry dirt/sand and it didn't look like recent rains made for deep waters. Still, we were prepared.It is a nice pretty level trail which is great for a family with two young boys. They enjoyed touching the mud which felt like clay (see picture). I did not enjoy the mess in the rental car but it was to be expected in our tour of the Utah Mighty 5 and other nearby national parks. It is five miles round trip so keep that in mind regarding carrying enough water, potty breaks (restrooms at southwest end of trail), and your children's tolerance (ours started to drag).

We found this to be a rather easy hike with very little elevation change. The views in the canyon are interesting and beautiful, however we were slightly disappointed because it was not especially grand. However, it was still worthwhile and I am glad that we did it. The Narrows section was really neat and scenic. Pit toilets are at the beginning and end, or halfway point if you are doing this round trip. It took about two hours to hike and we took our time.

There are two trailheads, with parking and pit toilets, for this popular trail through the canyon of the usually dry Grand Wash. One trail head is located at the end of Grand Wash Road, a well maintained dirt road, and the other is on Hwy 24. The trail is about 2.5 miles (4 k) each way for a round trip of about 5 miles (8 k). If you have access to two vehicles and wish to shorten the trail and avoid covering terrain already covered, one can stage a vehicle at the trailhead at each end. If this is not an option and you still wish to hike a shorter trail, the best part of the trail is the Narrows which is about 1.3 miles (2.1 k) from the trailhead at the end of Grand Wash Road cutting the hiking nearly in half. This trail is flat and easy as it follows the bottom of the Grand Wash but it can be hot, dry and dusty in the midday and afternoon sun so it is best to get an early start. As previously mentioned, the best part of the hike is the Narrows where the high, nearly vertical canyon walls come very close together. Although the narrows of this hike is a little better, we preferred the similar Capitol Gorge trail as, besides offering narrows, one can see petroglyphs, the pioneer register and take the short spur trail to see the waterpockets known as the Tanks.